


Go On

by amns216



Category: DCU, Smallville, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Blink and You'll Miss It Brigadoon, Blow Jobs, Celebrating Liberalia, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Introspection, Lionel Luthor's A+ parenting, M/M, Multi, Not Celebrating St. Patrick's Day, Well Basically a Happy Ending, Zeus' A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-05 10:25:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18364136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amns216/pseuds/amns216
Summary: Lex Luthor goes for a drink in Smallville's only bar and runs into some interesting company. It's a good thing his father was so adamant about him learning all that Greek history.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Set around the time of "Fever" (S2E16) along an alternate timeline, one where Helen Bryce goes to Johns Hopkins instead of moving in with Lex. More or less, from what I can remember of the events. "Smallville" has been off the air for a long time--and this is an alternate timeline! If there are serious continuity issues, blame it on that.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own these characters and I didn't invent them. They'll outlive us all, likely.

The bar was dark and smelled like beer and smoke and sweat. Lex Luthor, already out of place with his cashmere overcoat and corporate responsibilities, didn’t bother to hide an expression of distaste. As a concession to the holiday, someone had added green food coloring to one of the draught beers. Lex couldn’t imagine it improved the flavor. He eyed the crowd, taking in the drunken joviality of farmers and factory workers. One table held a group of giggling older women, all of whom were wearing headbands with blinking, plastic four-leaf clovers. 

“Vodka neat,” said Lex to the bartender as he settled on a barstool. Lex didn’t care which kind and the bartender, shooting him a dismissive glance, didn’t ask, just sloppily poured a double of Popov and set it down. Lex grimaced, both at the brand and the way it sloshed over the side of the glass, forming a sticky ring. 

He felt the glances and stares, aware of the way curiosity and an undercurrent of resentment could flare suddenly into hostility, and he couldn’t bring himself to care. Maybe he even welcomed it. 

He’d decided to let her go. Lex’s breath blew out in an inaudible puff of sour amusement. Let. As though he’d had any real control over her life or anyone else’s. Even his own. The beautiful, brilliant Dr. Helen Bryce was now free to pursue her beautiful, brilliant research career in Baltimore. Lex had nearly worked himself up to ask her to stay, to give up a prestigious fellowship for a drafty old mansion in the middle of nowhere and a man whose idea of participating in emotional intimacy was paying for it. But the last few months had unsettled something in him, had shifted the ground under him enough that he wasn’t sure what the landscape should look like anymore. When he’d first met Helen, he could almost see the life they’d build. She challenged him and made him want to be…good enough. Better than what he was. Better at making things black and white. Better at recognizing good and evil. 

Like Clark was, like the Kents were. Morality was so easy for them. Knowing their own desires was just a matter of dividing the light from the dark. If Lex could only contort himself to follow by their rules, he’d be _happy_. He would have the kind of nauseatingly Rockwellian existence he was both attracted to and repelled by. He’d have the uncomplicated kind of righteousness that sat so naturally on Clark’s brow. 

It was what he _should_ want. And that was the problem: He wasn’t sure _what_ he wanted anymore. Trying to build a future with Helen without more certainty wasn’t a good road for either of them. 

Lex swallowed half the vodka in one go and resisted the urge to wince at the burn. He hadn’t had vodka this cheap since he was a teenager. He made slow circles of his glass in the liquid on the bar top and let the alcohol bleed into his bloodstream. Usually he drank at home. There was only the one bar in Smallville, and it wasn’t exactly his typical kind of establishment. The mansion had been too quiet tonight, though. Full of shadows and regrets and loneliness, but no companions, no lovers, no friends. 

It had made him think too much about Helen, about his deceitful half-brother, about apparently being a magnet for every resident and visiting psychotic in Smallville. About his father. 

A bit of the old recklessness had seized him, and Lex had driven aimlessly in the 996 cabriolet, top down despite the brisk March temperature. The skies were clear and the stars were cold. He’d ended up at the bar without any real intent; at least it was warm inside.

Lex drank the rest of the vodka and nodded at the bartender for another. He was partway through his third when he saw movement from the corner of his eye as someone sat down next to him. 

Lex turned his head slightly then more fully as he took in the new arrival. Tall, probably as tall as Clark, hair that looked black in the dimly lit haze of the bar. Olive skin and dark eyes that reminded Lex of mulberries. He’d never seen eyes with a purple-red tint to them. Like fine red wine in shadow. He gave his head a nearly imperceptible shake at the florid description. Presumably the Popov was doing its job. 

“This seat taken?” the man asked as Lex continued to stare. 

“No,” Lex replied, forcing his body to relax. He was a little surprised by the frisson of attraction that ran through him, but, several vodkas into the night, he was more willing to see where it went than he might have been sober. His usual reluctance to expose himself to small-town small mindedness had been worn down with the drinks. It was 2002, the new millennium. Surely it wasn’t impossible to acquire a hookup, even in Kansas. And, Lex admitted to himself, downing the last of his drink, part of him wouldn’t mind a vicious brawl if it turned out he was misreading the situation. 

“No green beer?” the dark-eyed man asked Lex before telling the bartender, “I’ll have what he’s having.” 

“I wouldn’t,” Lex advised, although he gestured at the bartender for a refill on his own drink. “And no green. I’m not celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.” 

“Oh?” The other man raised his eyebrows as he took a deep drink of the wretched vodka. “This is terrible, by the way. You look like a man with better taste.”

“Fuck off. I did warn you. And thank you. I do have better taste,” Lex returned, drunk enough now that the thought of driving seemed like sort of a bad idea. 

“What are you celebrating, then?”

Lex smirked, feeling that they were headed more toward a fuck than a fight and not unhappy about it. 

“I’m celebrating the ancient Roman day of Liberalia. Free speech, coming of age, independence. Also takes place March seventeenth.” He waited to see if this kind of reply would lead to dismissal. 

“Wouldn’t wine be more appropriate, then?” The man’s expression was only amused, and Lex felt his heart rate jump in anticipation.

“Does this look like the kind of place that serves wine?” Lex asked. “Besides, I’m celebrating the other aspects of Liber, too. They’re not as tied to a specific beverage. In ancient Rome, they believed he represented freedom. Subverting authority. Liberation, obviously. I’ll drink to that with vodka any day.”

“Freedom from inhibition, too,” the other man said with a slow smile. “Did you know Liber was closely tied to Bacchus? A god of ecstasy.”

Lex’s throat closed when he heard the word ecstasy and he choked for a second before managing to swallow. Definitely not a fight, then. 

“I did,” he managed. “I did know that.” 

“On the whole, though, I prefer the Greek edition,” the man continued. “Twice-born Dionysus helped create the Greek theater, and there were plenty of great dithyrambs written in his honor. Not that I don’t enjoy a good bacchanal, but there’s something to be said for a more…intellectual seduction.” 

This was not what Lex had predicted for his evening, or, indeed, for any evening surrounded by Smallville’s bar-going crowd. 

“Are you…not from around here?” Lex asked faintly, his usually unshakable self-possession faltering briefly. 

“No.” The other man’s mulberry gaze ran with deliberate thoroughness over Lex’s entire body and Lex couldn’t help shuddering.

“I’m Lex,” he said. 

There was a pause before the tall man responded, slowly, “I’m Nikos.” 

“Greek?” Lex asked. 

“After a fashion,” Nikos answered with a small, private smile. 

“Are you staying close by?” Lex abandoned caution with a rarely seen giddiness. Tall, Dark, and Classically Educated was too good to pass up. 

“Not really,” Nikos said. “Are you?”

“Oh, I live here.”

Nikos’ eyebrows rose again and his gaze swept around the room eloquently then returned to rest on Lex’s immaculate person. “Doesn’t seem like your kind of town.” 

“It’s a long story,” Lex said. “We can go to my place.” He stood too quickly and had to clutch the bar to stay upright. He could feel a flush working its way up his neck and hoped the bad lighting covered it. 

Nikos gripped Lex’s elbow, supporting without confining, and threw several bills on the bar. 

“I can pay for the drinks,” Lex began, frowning. He always paid—one of his father’s earliest lessons. Nothing came for free, not friendship or affection or love. Certainly not drinks. 

“Don’t argue, Lex,” Nikos said, not giving him time to do more than be swept up out of the bar and into the frosty night air, perfumed with the slight but omnipresent scent of manure. 

“I hate this town,” Lex said with an expression of displeasure. “It’s why I don’t have any hair, you know. None. Anywhere.” He stopped talking for a moment, horrified. “I really _am_ celebrating Liberalia. I must not have any inhibitions left,” he muttered. 

“You don’t have any hair because of your hatred for this town?” Nikos’ mouth quirked up into that small smile. 

Lex’s innate instinct for drama, given free reign by the drinks, encouraged him to release a tortured sigh. 

“No. Forget I said anything. Too much cheap vodka.” 

“Too much for you to drive anywhere, certainly,” Nikos said. “Give me your keys, please.” 

Lex hesitated, keys in hand. It wasn’t the potential danger of an unknown one-night stand, or taking a stranger into his home, or the possibility of violence. He’d made bad choices during his teenage years that could more than rival taking one man back to a house with live-in servants and a very sophisticated security system. No, it was….

“I’ll be careful with your car,” Nikos assured him, somehow hitting on Lex’s only real concern. Lex felt distant amazement at how easily he had been read. 

“Okay,” he said, his struggle folding. He allowed Nikos to bundle him into the passenger seat without protesting. “Leave the top down,” was all Lex said after giving directions to his home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...I'm not a scientist.

The fountain was off for the winter, but the mansion’s entry was still impressive. 

“Imported stone by stone,” Lex said at Nikos’ questioning look. “God forbid my father do something less ostentatious than transport a castle from Scotland to house the Luthor family in rural Kansas.” 

“I’m familiar with paternal hubris,” Nikos said. “Mine more or less set himself up as a ruler of gods.” 

“My father’s dearest ambition,” Lex laughed. “Do you want something better to drink?” 

“Why don’t you give me a tour?” Nikos put his hands on Lex’s shoulders and removed the finely woven coat. The castle’s perpetually cool air wound around him and he realized Nikos was only wearing a wool sweater. 

“Where’s your coat?” Lex asked, the vodka catching up with him and making his head feel heavy and slow. 

“I run hot,” Nikos answered, folding Lex’s outerwear over a hall table and putting his warm hand on Lex’s chilled fingers. “What’s upstairs?”

“I’ll show you,” Lex said, twining his fingers through Nikos’ and pulling him toward the stairs. The invitation seemed to set them loose. Nikos settled one hand on the back of Lex’s neck and rubbed his fingers into the muscle, causing Lex to groan. Lex put his arm around Nikos’ waist and dug his fingers in, loving the unyielding strength he met. 

They staggered down a long hallway before Lex threw open a door to their right and grabbed Nikos’ free hand to lead him onto the large expanse of bed. Nikos sat on the edge of the tall mattress, then pulled Lex down into his lap, Lex’s long, lean legs falling to each side. Lex felt the delicious heat of one strong hand press against the small of his back, while the other settled on his head, guiding him into a kiss. Lex opened at the first sweep of Nikos’ tongue, enjoying the contrast between soft lips and slick mouth. They kissed until Lex fell willingly into a liquor- and pleasure-induced daze, licking at Nikos’ mouth and sucking at his tongue. 

Nikos ran his palm up and down Lex’s back while Lex let his own hands grip and knead at Nikos’ solid shoulders. When Nikos trailed kisses down Lex’s neck, Lex let his head fall back with a moan. Nikos paused under the right side of Lex’s jaw, tongue swirling over the pulse point before he began to suck gently. As Nikos progressed to a light brush of teeth, Lex felt his hips jerk up, rubbing his stiff prick against the hard muscles of Nikos’ stomach. Nikos smiled against Lex’s neck and moved to unbutton Lex’s shirt and slide it off his shoulders. 

Lex was too far gone to feel any shame at the noises he made when Nikos’ clever fingers plucked at his nipples. Instead, he sank wantonly into the sensation, unaware that Nikos had dropped his other hand and opened Lex’s trousers until he felt his bare cock slide against the wool of Nikos’ sweater. Lex let his forehead drop to Nikos’ shoulder and rutted against him, unable to check his moans. 

He thought he heard Nikos muttering, “Lovely, so smooth, so lovely, Lex, that’s right,” but it was distant, a soothing murmur of sound against his ears. He swam up from the ocean of pleasure briefly when Nikos turned and lowered him to the bed, stripping them both of clothes a minute later. Lex tried to help, but realized on some level that he was mostly getting in the way and eventually lay quiescent until they were both naked. Then Lex let his eyes drink in the sight of his Greek after a fashion bar find. At that moment, Lex would have been deliriously happy to donate every cent of ill-gotten Luthor gains if that was what it took to touch Nikos, to kiss his way up the caduceus tattooed in black ink on one powerful forearm, to lave the copper-colored nipples with his tongue, to press his palms to the enviously defined abdomen.

Lex opened his mouth to convey just how mouth-watering he found Nikos’ body. What came out instead was, “Ughhmm,” followed by a whimper.  
It was not exactly the oratory triumph he had hoped for.

It did seem to charm Nikos, though, who gave him an amused glance before making his way down Lex’s body, licking and nipping at various points until his mouth was hovering over Lex’s painfully erect cock. Lex canted his hips up, impatient, and Nikos obliged by enveloping the head of his prick in blissful heat. Without more than a few seconds’ pause, Nikos leaned forward until Lex’s entire length was down his throat. 

Lex made a strangled sound. He had both given and received a staggering number of blow jobs, but this was impossibly superior to anything he’d experienced. Nikos didn’t seem to need as much air as a normal person, and his focus on bringing Lex to a state of boneless rapture was seemingly superhuman. Nikos set a steady, relentless rhythm, until Lex was fisting the sheets beneath him and emitting a ceaseless string of pleasured noises. 

When Nikos finally drove Lex toward completion, Lex could hardly keep his eyes open, sinking into post-orgasmic laxity. Nikos had swallowed every ounce of Lex’s release and in a far corner of his mind, Lex wanted to reassure the other man that he was clean and not to worry. Before he could do more than mumble, however, Nikos had flipped him over onto his stomach and blanketed him with his own well-muscled body. Lex groaned at the heat and weight of him, delighted and blurry-eyed with pleasure. 

Nikos bit lightly into Lex’s shoulder and began to slide his hard, wet cock over Lex’s ass. It didn’t take long before Lex felt a hot spill of liquid against his lower back and he smiled. 

“That was…incredible,” Lex murmured. Nikos lay still for a few minutes and Lex was surprised at how much he enjoyed being trapped under the other man’s broader form. 

“Shower?” Nikos said finally, and Lex nodded, allowing Nikos to guide him upright. 

“Then bed,” Lex said. Nikos searched Lex’s face for a minute before agreeing. 

“Then bed,” he said. 

\- X-

Lex woke to nothing unusual except a deep sense of relaxation that was entirely foreign. He was alone in his bed, which was normal. The castle around him was silent; also normal. Lex ran a hand over his face, the previous night coming back to him in a rush of remembered pleasure. He sighed, hoping his one-night stand hadn’t absconded with anything too valuable. He hadn’t been woken by his security team or even his housekeeper, so presumably Nikos hadn’t made a fuss before he left.

When Lex returned from the bathroom, however, he noticed Nikos’ sweater was still sitting on an armchair near the fireplace. 

Maybe the other man had helped himself to one of Lex’s coats? Lex frowned and quickly pulled on a pair of trousers and a fitted t-shirt. He hesitated in front of his closet then turned back to Nikos’ discarded sweater. With a shake of his head at his own self-indulgence, Lex put the sweater on, inhaling the spicy scent of Nikos’ cologne. The sweater was too big and quite unlike the rest of his wardrobe, but Lex refused to think about it. He was in his own home with nothing more than work on his laptop planned for the rest of the day. 

Lex took a meandering path down to his office, padding barefoot over thick carpets and chilly stone floors, allowing himself to entertain the fantasy that he was wearing a lover’s sweater, a lover who would share coffee and breakfast and maybe a quiet day reading and working before they could twine around each other in bed and— Lex’s pleasant thoughts came to a sharp end when he realized the door he was passing was open. It was never open. It was always locked. 

Heart pounding, Lex pushed the door the rest of the way open and steeled himself for what he might see. A part of him was ashamed every time he thought of this room, but curiosity, his oldest companion, had demanded he investigate the mysteries that filled this town. And if most of those mysteries seemed to center around the teenager who had— _mysteriously_ —saved his life after he’d gone over that bridge, well, Lex could only go where the story led him. 

But the room didn’t contain an angry, hurt Clark Kent. Instead, another tall, dark man stood in front of the screen endlessly depicting a car hitting a figure before diving off the side of a bridge. 

Nikos turned at Lex’s wordless, shocked noise of protest. 

“You’re up!” Nikos smiled and Lex scrambled to think of how to respond; casual geniality was not what he was prepared for. While Lex struggled to regain control of the situation, Nikos turned and nodded at the image of an octagon inscribed with unreadable symbols. “I’ve always thought Kryptonian was one of the prettier languages. Have you worked out the alphabet on your own yet? Or has Kal-El learned from the messenger his parents left with him?” 

“I—” Lex broke off, beyond astonishment. 

“I’m sure you’ve guessed that I’m not human, either,” Nikos’ smile turned rueful. “Sorry I didn’t mention it last night. It had been a while since I’d been with anyone from Earth, and you were irresistible. It’s nice not to have to pretend. I’m sure it was a relief for young Kal—oh, Clark, I suppose I should call him—as well.” 

“What—” Lex swallowed. “Did my father—” Lex took a steadying breath and stared at Nikos. “Are you saying…claiming…are you telling me that Clark isn’t—that you aren’t—that you are both…aliens?” Lex flushed after the last word, suddenly feeling foolish and exposed, his stomach dropping the way it had after the countless humiliations to which he’d been subjected at prep school. 

Nikos tipped his head and returned Lex’s measuring stare. 

“Well, yes. Isn’t that why you’re collecting information about Krypton and Kal-El—er, Clark? My research indicated that the two of you were very friendly, and given your scientific background and your father’s associations, I assumed you were aware of the situation. When I found this repository of information, my supposition seemed confirmed.” Nikos paused and examined Lex again. “Perhaps that assumption was incorrect. But you have noticed Clark’s abnormalities, yes? The speed, the strength, the ocular heat energy, perhaps? And obviously you’ve conducted your own investigations.” Nikos frowned slightly. “I wonder if there was some damage to Kal-El’s guidance program. It’s possible he isn’t aware of everything he should know.” 

Lex choked out a laugh-like sort of sound and stumbled back through the room, practically running up the short flight of steps. He made his way to his office without seeing anything he passed, continuing his forward motion until he reached the crystal decanter of scotch. Lex’s hands trembled as he splashed a healthy amount into a tumbler and brought it to his lips. 

“Are you all right?” He heard Nikos’ voice and took another gulp of fiery liquid, feeling it burn all the way down to his stomach with a reassuring familiarity. 

“Lex?” Nikos asked. 

Lex blinked and let the edge of the desk take his weight. 

“This explains a lot, actually,” he said after a quiet minute. 

“You’re taking this very calmly now,” said Nikos carefully. 

“Mmm,” Lex replied, blue eyes distant as he stared into his glass. “I have…questions,” he said, but warily, bracing himself for rejection. 

“I’m hardly going to tell you I’m from another planet and then refuse to discuss it further.” Nikos frowned down at him. Lex felt a hand on the back of his neck, then Nikos’ thumb settled under Lex’s jaw, urging his face up. To his annoyance, Lex heard his breath hitch, as memories of the night before bloomed in his mind.

“I’m assuming,” Nikos began, lowering his head until his breath fell on Lex’s sensitive ear, “that the reason your friend _Clark_ has held his silence is more to do with him and less to do with you.” 

“I-it’s possible,” Lex’s voice was a little unsteady as Nikos used his tongue to trace the outline of Lex’s ear. 

“I like you wearing my clothes, by the way,” Nikos said and Lex shivered. 

“Stop distracting me,” Lex snapped, pushing at Nikos’ chest and setting his drink down with a sharp click on the desk’s glass surface. “You said you’d discuss this further. Go ahead, then. Enlighten me.”

Nikos shrugged agreeably. 

“I apologize for the misunderstanding, first of all,” he began. He drew Lex forward until they were both sitting on the couch. Lex had a moment’s misgivings about the wisdom of being that close to someone so attractive, but he dismissed it with the internal reassurance that he was a Luthor with hard-won self control. 

“The inhabitants of my planet were trade partners with Kal-El’s home, Krypton, for many years,” Nikos said. “But Krypton’s government became destabilized and one of the warring factions started working to damage the planet’s core, part of an effort to seize power. Kal-El’s parents were powerful political figures in their own right, and they were both from wealthy, established families with ties to trade with my people. When they realized what was going to happen, they flew Kal-El away to ensure his survival and sent word to my father. The planet is gone now, sadly. The core exploded and took nearly all the inhabitants with it.

“We spent some time tracking down the survivors, but Kal-El was our primary focus, in part because he was sent away with everything his family could give him. I was asked to return to Earth and check up on Kal-El, make sure the stasis had worked properly.” 

“Stasis?” Lex broke in. 

“Ah, yes. The yellow sun grants certain…abilities to both my people and those of Krypton, but where Kryptonian physiology will allow Kal-El to live all but agelessly here for centuries, my own physical makeup requires periods of a preservative and restorative stasis to extend life. The Kryptonians used something similar for Kal-El during his journey. Not quite the same, because he did—and was meant to—age. The process my people use as adults is not suitable for children.”

Lex blinked again, taking this in with a sense of wonder. 

“How old _are_ you, then?” he asked, then felt himself blush. That was not what he’d meant to ask. Lex tried to think like his father: cool, calm, remote, free of emotion and set entirely on gaining as much knowledge and advantage as he could. The blush persisted. 

“Remember I told you my father set himself up as a king of gods?” Nikos smiled that small, private smile again and Lex could feel his eyes widening. 

“You’re Greek…after a fashion,” Lex breathed. 

“We don’t go by the old names anymore,” Nikos said, baring the caduceus on his forearm. Lex was aware that his expression likely reflected more slack-jawed amazement than confident scientific curiosity as he reached out to trace one finger over the inked pattern. 

“Hermes, the wingéd messenger. Son of Zeus and Maia.” Lex brought his hand back and looked up into the wine-colored eyes of his one-time lover. 

“I’m pleased the old stories haven’t passed from this world entirely yet,” Nikos said, rolling his sleeve back down. 

“Well, no, but my education was a bit unusual,” Lex muttered. “My father….”

“Ah, Lionel Luthor,” Nikos agreed. “He made up a great deal of my background dossiers for this job.” 

“Are all the ancient gods we humans worshipped from your planet?”

“The Greek pantheon, yes, among others. My family enjoyed Greece, but not everyone felt the same way. My father had a friend who settled deep in the highlands of Scotland centuries ago and brought a small village under his rule. He grew so attached to his human servants that he tried to bring them into stasis with him. Most of your kind aren’t able to withstand our process of suspended animation, though, and it went a bit wrong. For a while, they would be in stasis for a hundred years at a time. Every morning they woke, it was a different century. Eventually he had to let them die, and it was all very unpleasant.”

“Have you been on Earth since ancient Greece?” Lex’s brow wrinkled. 

“No, my family left after the fall of Rome, and some never returned. I’ve visited a few times over the years. England in the time of Elizabeth I was fascinating. I very much enjoyed the heyday of Freud. I briefly returned during the time of the groovy flower children. I’ve always liked your planet, though. When this assignment came up and my uncle asked me to return, it wasn’t much of a hardship.”

“But Clark—Kal-El?—has been here for years. He’s a teenager. Why didn’t you come earlier?” Lex asked. 

“Any off-world diplomatic assignment is the result of political maneuvering,” Nikos said. “Once my father received Jor-El’s message and we’d evaluated the events that led to Krypton’s destruction, we then had to determine the best course of action. After that was settled, contemporary reconnaissance of Kal-El’s destination had to be conducted, then the leader of the assignment had to be chosen. It took a while to achieve accord, given all the different factions involved.” 

“Ah.” Lex nodded. Apparently petty power plays and bureaucratic lags were as prevalent on Nikos’ home world as they were in the upper echelons of LuthorCorp. 

“By the time it was all arranged and I had been sufficiently informed about the situation here, well, Clark was already into his adolescence.” Nikos shrugged. “I am authorized to interact directly with him, but I was planning to first familiarize myself with this environment.” 

“Hence your appearance at the local watering hole,” Lex said. “And what about me? Am I part of your exploration of local color?” 

“I do like blue,” Nikos said, brushing the tip of his finger against the corner of Lex’s eye. 

“Prove it to me,” Lex said abruptly. Nikos raised his eyebrows.

“Prove my fondness for blue?”

“Don’t be deliberately obtuse,” Lex replied sharply. “Show me something…extraordinary. Something a human couldn’t do.” 

“All right,” Nikos said, then his form seemed to blur, and before Lex could say anything else, Nikos was blurring back, a familiar tube in his hand. 

“Really?” Lex said flatly. 

“No human can move that quickly,” Nikos shrugged. 

“But that’s what you used superhuman speed for?” Lex blinked and found himself on his back, naked, with Nikos bent over him, white teeth flashing in a smug smile. 

“Yes. And now you’ve seen speed,” Nikos said, lowering his head to nip at Lex’s jaw as his hands stroked over Lex’s sides, his flat stomach. Lex tried to nurture his sense of irritation but his body had very different ideas and he could feel himself hardening. Nikos, he was annoyed to realize, was still clothed, and the sensation of fabric rubbing against his vulnerable skin was alarmingly erotic. 

“We aren’t done talking about Clark and-and—” Lex’s voice trailed off into a moan when Nikos started running his fingers over Lex’s sharp hipbones and then inward. 

“Stop thinking about Clark,” Nikos murmured, finally giving Lex’s cock some attention. Lex released an involuntary gasp and only Nikos’ firm grip on his hip kept him still. “Let me show you strength.” 

Without any further warning, Nikos pulled Lex into his arms and sped them over to the wall, where he held Lex pinned upright with no visible effort. Lex might have been on the thin side, but he was still a fully grown adult man, and the fact that Nikos could hold him up with such ease was…well, it was interesting on a scientific level, of course, not arousing, Lex told himself. His interest in the alien who had given him the best head of his life was purely intellectual, entirely— Lex’s thoughts unraveled as Nikos settled Lex’s legs around his waist and kissed him. 

“And here’s something a little more entertaining.” Nikos drew back and Lex tried to follow his mouth. “Patience,” Nikos murmured, and Lex watched as he squeezed lubricant onto his fingers and then gave it a brief but intent look. “Feel this.” 

Nikos brought his hand to Lex’s straining cock and Lex almost yelped in shock when he felt the viscous heat. 

“Did you—did you warm that up with the o-ocular h-heat…thing?” Lex managed. His mouth worked for a few seconds before he forced more words out. “Are you…seriously only using your powers for…sex?” 

“I like you relaxed,” Nikos shrugged, twisting his hand slightly as he continued the slow, heated movements. 

“Fuck,” Lex sighed, letting his head tip back against the wall. His questions could wait a few minutes.


	3. Chapter 3

Nikos lay on his side in Lex’s expensive bedsheets and contemplated Lex’s bent head, smooth and curved and vulnerable. 

“What you said earlier,” Lex started, long fingers tracing abstract patterns in the silky sheets. 

“Mm-hm?” Nikos asked, wondering which part of his earlier revelations Lex’s delightfully complicated mind would seize on next. After Nikos had brought Lex off downstairs, Lex had dragged them back up to the bedroom, where he’d proceeded to use his mouth with skill, determination, and wild enthusiasm. While Nikos was recovering, basking in a sweet lassitude of pleasure, Lex had turned that same skill, determination, and enthusiasm to questioning him about alien technologies and advancements, the preservative stasis techniques, and space travel. They touched on medicine, alien physiology, and galactic trade agreements before Lex was distracted by a stray reference to Greek history, and the conversation took a more philosophical turn before coming to rest in Lex’s contemplative silence. 

“The intelligence gathering your people did for this assignment of yours. You said there was information about my—about Lionel.” 

“Yes. Once we’d worked out where on the planet Clark’s ship was likely to land, we needed information on the local economy, the political powers, where Clark might find a home. Of course, Kryptonians had been to this area before, years ago. You recall the caves, I assume.”

“I do,” Lex allowed, eyes watchful. “But my father?”

“Naturally his name came up in both economic and political circles. His company drives the primary source of employment in Smallville, after all. And he was on track to find out Clark’s identity before the ship even landed. A man of many secrets, your father. A man who came from nothing and now sits as a prince of Metropolis.”

“Did your files mention anything else about the Luthor family? Anything…personal?”

“There was a fair amount of attention paid to your father’s character. He was not necessarily seen as a stable influence. Part of my job is to determine if we should let him continue on his path or turn him aside.” Nikos brushed Lex’s cheek with his fingers, quiet for several minutes. “Something has become clear to me as I’ve observed Kal-El here. Although my time looking into his life has been short so far, I have seen that he is truly a son of Earth now. It’s something I don’t think anyone from my world would understand, not on any meaningful level. 

“We played at being gods here, and some of us took humans as companions or toys. Even my father tried once to bring a human into stasis with him; a servant of his, a cupbearer he grew to love. But it never works—humans so far have not been made to accompany us. When we live with you, among you, it’s always with the knowledge that we are separate. But Kal-El…Clark…the alien to him is his Kryptonian heritage. Never before has there been one so suited to…be pleased as man with men to dwell.”

Lex made a considering noise. 

“You believe he has the human race’s best interests at heart,” he said, thoughtful. 

“I believe he could grow to be a great defender of and for mankind,” Nikos replied. 

“What will you tell your government? Is your purpose only to observe?”

“There is more than one goal among our leaders,” Nikos said drily. “My father for his part would like me to bring Kal-El back to him, so he can be seen as the savior of Krypton’s last son. And whatever assets Jor-El managed to send with Clark would, of course, end up belonging to my father, as well. My uncle would prefer me to set up surveillance on Clark indefinitely, to observe without interference unless our own interests are jeopardized.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Lex, looking more curious than anything else. 

“Talk to Clark and see what he wants. Be sure he has all the information he should.” Nikos smiled. “I gave up trying to please my father quite some time ago. He chose his road and I’ve chosen mine.”

“How?” Lex asked, and Nikos saw the bleakness beneath the question. The dossiers had been very thorough. There had been a section on Lionel’s oldest son that Nikos had found wearyingly recognizable. His own father had spent centuries indulging in mind games and manipulation and temper tantrums, all intended to bring his wayward offspring to heel.

“Don’t mistake your father’s ambitions for your own,” Nikos offered. “I like influence and power, but there are other ways to get those things than to follow in the footsteps of my father. I also value curiosity and empathy, but my father will never value them highly.”

“Do you ever….” Lex bit his lip. “Do you ever think you’ll turn out like him no matter what you do?”

“Not anymore,” Nikos replied without hesitation. “It took a long time for me to define myself outside of my father. His personality is…vivid. But my strengths aren’t necessarily his strengths, and trying constantly to force yourself into someone else’s shape isn’t a good way to achieve what you want.” 

Lex was quiet for a few minutes, brow furrowed. 

“Sometimes I admire Lionel’s ruthlessness. His ability to compartmentalize everything. Everything.” Lex paused. “And I know I’m not incorruptible. Usually I’m not too upset about living my life in shades of grey, but at times I look at my father and…I know what it feels like. To have those dark impulses. That could be my destiny.”

“Dark impulses?” Nikos repeated, leaning over to cup the back of Lex’s skull in a large hand. Oh, he liked this boy, who was such an uneasy union of opposites. Confidence and arrogance mated to insecurity and compassion. Too intelligent to be easy with pat explanations, but all too ready to accept criticism of his own character. 

Nikos, contemplative, stroked his thumb over Lex’s bare, satiny skin before letting his arm drop. Even discounting his periods of stasis, Nikos had lived a long time, as many different people. There weren’t any behaviors or types or kinks on Earth he hadn’t documented or experienced or both. A thousand years ago, two thousand years ago, he might have taken Lex’s grim-faced certainty of his own dark destiny as something to be seriously considered. Instead, tempered and patient with age, Nikos only smiled. Lex was still so fresh, so malleable. Damaged, perhaps, but not inflexible. 

“You are ambitious, yes, and curious,” Nikos allowed. 

Lex frowned, apparently unsure whether or not he should be offended. 

“Aren’t you concerned about what I could do with the knowledge of what you really are?” Lex asked. “I’ve…done things. My father—my father has labs…. Clark’s never even admitted he might be stronger than a-a _human_ could be, let alone able to set fires with some kind of _heat vision._ ” Lex’s mouth turned down again, that now-familiar bitter line. “Maybe he’s right not to trust me.” 

“I suppose two decades’ worth of living isn’t much time to get over a tendency toward self-pity,” Nikos said, amused. Lex bristled, and Nikos could almost hear his thoughts. Memories of Lionel, without a doubt. Nikos knew the ways of domineering, morally bankrupt fathers. Knew them with intimate and painful familiarity. But dwelling on the abuse, both small and large, Lionel had visited on his son wouldn’t help Lex do anything except shape himself into a defensive reflection of his sire. 

“Maybe there’s a life out there where you do become your father,” Nikos said, and the way Lex’s breath stuttered for a second told him he’d hit his mark. “Maybe there’s a life where you draw on the injustices and the neglect and the belittlement and you never escape the orbit around your father’s sun. Maybe you replace him and you become your own nightmare.” 

Nikos shrugged before continuing. “Ruling Metropolis isn’t a bad ambition. Governing this state, this country…it’s something that would make use of your intelligence, to be sure. But there’s more to you than cold intellect and the desire to reign. You are more complex than that, Alexander Luthor.”

Lex’s breath was coming faster and he stared at the wall behind Nikos as though it held the answers to his future. He stood suddenly, yanking on the first clothing that came to hand from the bed. It turned out to be Nikos’ well-worn jeans. Lex blinked down at them for a second, and Nikos felt an unexpected wave of possessiveness sweep over him as he saw the way the denim fell low on Lex’s slim hips, how the fabric extended well past Lex’s ankles. 

“I need to get out,” Lex said. “I’m going to get some coffee.” 

Nikos waited to see if Lex would remove the jeans, but the other man just cuffed the pants and pulled on his own gray shirt. Nikos admired the way it clung to Lex’s lean torso before he rose from the bed and walked over to the not-insignificant room Lex used as a closet. After opening a few drawers from a built-in bureau, Nikos located a pair of joggers that were probably a little big on Lex and a long-sleeved gray shirt that could be the twin of the one Lex had on. Nikos wandered back out to the bedroom to find Lex standing in the same place he’d left him. 

“I didn’t say I wanted you to accompany me,” Lex pointed out, blue eyes cool. 

Lionel Luthor might have clawed his way up from a back alley of filth and villainy, but he’d raised his son as royalty, Nikos thought, impressed in spite of himself. With his bare feet and ill-fitting jeans and kiss-swollen lips, Lex should have looked small and disreputable. Instead, he lifted his chin with all the assured hauteur of a king and made every weakness look like strength. 

_“Acta deos numquam mortalia fallunt,”_ Nikos said in a low voice, smirking. “I see you. Don’t pretend you don’t want to ask me more questions, Lex. You don’t fool me.” He paused. “A deity.”

Lex gave a startled half laugh and looked down for a moment. When he raised his gaze, those blue eyes had warmed like a summer sky and Nikos felt his heart catch a little, as it hadn’t in centuries. 

“Yeah, all right,” Lex said, lips soft and curved upward a bit. He paused. “Want to take the 911 GT3?”

“It’s hard to resist a Porsche,” Nikos agreed. 

\- X -

Nikos was unsurprised that Lex, despite owning the coffee shop they were in, still paid for their drinks and tipped the bright-eyed, dark-haired girl working there. While Lionel would have done the same thing, his behavior would have been motivated by showmanship and painfully learned noblesse oblige. In countless ways Lex was as calculated as his father, but his instinctive responses were astonishingly selfless, especially given his primary parental figure. 

It was far more attractive than Nikos was comfortable with. 

He forced his thoughts away from his distracting, young companion and toward the other customers. There was a blonde girl whose brightly hued clothing and cheerful countenance were belied by her watchful eyes. Nikos, caught by a sense of familiarity, rifled through his mental files and identified her as one of Kal-El’s close friends, Chloe Sullivan. Nikos had wondered briefly if Kal-Clark had trusted her with his true identity, but ultimately had determined that Lex Luthor was the most likely confidante, given the personalities in play. 

Still, he had been wrong about Clark and Lex, so perhaps this fellow student knew more than Nikos had assumed. He saw her gaze go to the door and followed her line of sight to find the Kryptonian boy himself entering the coffee shop. Nikos was startled to see that once Clark realized Lex was there, his attention didn’t waver. He nodded greetings at people he knew, but his focus was on Lex. And his expression as he darted his eyes at Lex’s companion didn’t look friendly. 

_Hmm,_ Nikos thought, feeling a smile grow on his face. _This is interesting._

Lex, he was amused to see, apparently regarded Clark’s intentions as entirely earnest and platonic. Of course, Nikos reflected, Clark was a baby. It was possible that, in Clark’s conscious mind, his intentions _were_ just earnest and platonic. 

“Hi, Lex,” Clark said. “Who’s your friend?”

Lex smiled and waited for Clark to drop into the chair next to him with an ungainly rush of work boots and long legs. 

“Clark, this is Nikos. He’s staying with me for…a few days.” Lex’s eyebrows tilted a little as he glanced at Nikos. 

“Lex has been very generous,” Nikos said, “with his favors.”

Lex choked a little on his coffee and Clark’s face darkened. 

“Have I said something wrong? English is not my first language,” Nikos said. “Lex has been kind enough to allow me into his home.” Nikos did his best to make it sound as suggestive as possible and was both amused and gratified to see Clark’s fingers tighten on the arm rests. 

“Great,” Clark got out. “Where are you from, Nick?”

“It’s Nikos,” Lex said, with a quelling look at his companion. Nikos inwardly sighed at the knowledge that he should stop baiting the Kryptonian. As entertaining as it might be to continue, his real purpose was to gain Clark’s trust, and setting his back up at their first meeting didn’t do much to further that goal. 

“My family settled in Greece years ago,” Nikos answered. 

“So what brings you to Smallville?” Clark’s eyes narrowed. 

“My company might do some business here,” Nikos said easily, leaning back and stretching out his legs until they brushed Lex’s. 

“Oh, like with LexCorp?” Clark looked relieved. 

“Maybe. We’ll see.” Nikos sipped his coffee. 

“Well, good,” Clark said, settling back in his chair and giving them all a sunny smile. “I’m happy for you, Lex. I know how important your company is to you. I mean, I should have known you weren’t just…socializing here. You’re always working!”

Lex frowned. 

“Clark, did you finish that article on the, uh, unusually aggressive spelling bee?” Chloe broke in from a few tables over. Clark’s grin faded. 

“No, I had some extra chores to do last night for my dad,” he said with a quick look under his lashes at Lex and Nikos. He sighed. “I’ll get some coffee to go, I guess.”

“Thanks!” Chloe chirped, herding him over to the counter to order. 

“So,” Nikos drawled, turning his gaze to Lex. “Would you like me to tell you about Kryptonian poetry?” 

Lex’s expression eased and he relaxed enough to mimic Nikos’ lounging posture. 

“Right after you finish that story about how you, John Dee, and Tycho Brahe got drunk and stole a boat from Philip Sidney while his father was aboard.”

Nikos swallowed some coffee and smirked. 

“Oh, I wasn’t the drunk one,” he said. “But it was my idea to take the boat.”

\- X -

Lex walked from the fireplace to the door and back again. For the fifth time. He wasn’t pacing, though. He was just…encouraging his thought process through ambulation. 

Nikos had left three days ago to talk things out with Clark. Lex was more than a little annoyed to find that he _missed_ the other man. He had found the stories of historic power struggles on Mount Olympus more entertaining than any television show he’d ever seen, and the wealth of knowledge his erstwhile Hermes had on human/alien health differences made Lex want to disappear into his lab with blood samples and enough food to let him research uninterrupted for several years. 

But Nikos was with Clark, was finishing his assignment on Earth. 

Then, presumably, Nikos would leave. Or he’d leave with Clark, although Lex had a hard time imagining Clark voluntarily leaving his parents and an even harder time imagining Nikos forcing him to. Not that Nikos didn’t come across as plenty ruthless. For all his calm demeanor, Nikos was a predator. Lex recognized the type, having been raised by one. But Lex also recognized where Nikos’ interests lay. He wasn’t out to capture or lure Clark away. No, Nikos’ primary focus appeared to be educating Clark and ensuring he was as free from world-conquering agendas as he seemed to be. And, Lex suspected, Nikos also wanted a chance to examine whatever Kryptonian technology Clark might have. 

That motive Lex more than understood. He was remembering the heavy feel of the octagon in his hand as he made the journey from fireplace to door again, fingers flicking idly against the fabric of his trousers. He wondered if Nikos would let him look over the alien artifacts, too. 

Or if he’d even see Nikos again, once he had settled things with Clark. 

Lex frowned as he passed his desk, knowing there was work he should be doing. Nikos wasn’t a _relationship._ Lex’s only interest in him should be in how Nikos could further scientific study. On what Nikos could leave Lex with, once he’d gone back to his own planet. 

Lex’s thoughts, against his better judgment, drifted back to the way Nikos had looked in the coffee shop, with his borrowed shirt clinging lovingly to every muscle. A half smile twitched on Lex’s lips as he realized that more of his brain was focused on the well-developed body of his alien…lover?…than on the fact that his…lover?…was an alien. 

There was something about Nikos that made him simultaneously aroused and relaxed, though. That made him lose sight of the ambition that had driven him for most of his life, loosen his grip on his goal to either prove himself to his father or defeat him at his own game. Sometimes Lex didn’t know if there was a difference. 

When Lex was talking to Nikos, learning and questioning, giving and taking, he found he followed his natural instincts and interests instead of suppressing them.

He’d always had a mind for puzzles, and had been at the top of his classes even when he was working two grade levels ahead of his age. But after his mother had died, Lex had turned all that mental energy toward pleasing his father. Lionel didn’t want a son who developed a cure for disease, he wanted a son who figured out how to profit from that cure. So Lex turned his mind to ruling, not fixing. 

Now Lex wondered if he hadn’t done as much damage as Lionel had by trying to force himself into his father’s mold. Hearing Nikos talk about his father—Zeus! Lex thought, briefly astonished all over again—had sent a bolt of pain through his chest, caught between defensiveness and yearning. He wanted to tell Lionel to fuck off. He wanted to tell Lionel he didn’t care. He wanted, more than any of that, to hear Lionel say that _he_ cared. 

Lex sighed inwardly at the thought, knowing his father would laugh himself sick in amusement and disgust at such sentimentality. 

He paused next to his desk, eyes coming to rest on his computer. He remembered Clark’s words about how he was always working. In that respect, he had become his father, hadn’t he. Lex tried to recall the last thing he’d done entirely based on his own wants. He had his cars, he supposed. He did love driving. But what had happened to all the wonder he had seen in the world as a child? Even his scientific curiosity had become warped, forced underground until he created rooms full of stolen information and obsession. 

He’d had to become devious about his pursuit for knowledge. At his core was a need to _understand_ things, but he had stifled that intellectual inquisitiveness over the years. So many years of listening to whatever Lionel said was more important. 

And Lex had bent in the direction his father pushed. He’d always thought that the trade off was the power and wealth of being a Luthor. Was that worth it?

Lex gave a considering hum and tapped his fingers against the desk’s cool glass surface. When had he decided to believe his father when Lionel told him what he should value? 

\- X -

Nikos absently fiddled with the small device in his pocket as he moved through corn fields prepped for planting and across fallow ground washed red in the setting sun. He was running in an easy lope, enjoying the energy of the dying daylight and contemplating the almost impossibly young and impressionable being that was Kal-El/Clark Kent. Or Kal-Clark, as he’d taken to calling him internally. 

There’d been some corruption in the messenger guide left for Kal-Clark in his ship. Nikos had spent a while straightening everything out, but when he was done, he was reasonably certain that the artificial intelligence should be able to impart messages and knowledge without doing anyone any harm. 

Nikos knew his attention should be fixed on how to present to his superiors the information he’d gathered on Kal-Clark and his attendant Kryptonian relics, but instead his wayward thoughts strayed toward the curve of a bare neck and the edge of a wry smile. 

He had taken this assignment based on fond but distant memories of Earth and a slightly worrying lack of interest in anything immediate. There were members of his family who had lived longer than he had, but in order to make stasis worthwhile, there had to be something to wake up to. And Nikos had felt his interest in the “waking up to” part wane over the last few years. 

Without his conscious consent, the image of a particular pair of blue eyes came to him and Nikos found himself smiling. Lex Luthor was someone who could go thousands of years before boredom caught him. He was surprised at how easy it was for him to spin out a long future for Lex, one where Lex’s small dreams of owning one country on one planet faded and the enormous intellect and insatiable curiosity he tried so hard to curtail could expand unchecked. 

Lex would love the wide galaxies beyond his own Milky Way. He’d love the distant stars; they could— Nikos jerked that train of thought to an abrupt halt. _They?_ He realized that long life of exploration he was imagining for Lex included a former Greek deity by his side. 

When had going home with a pretty, young human turned into…whatever this was? 

He toyed with the device in his pocket again. Everything he’d learned, everything contained within Kal-Clark’s ship, had been carefully recorded and copied. Nikos had planned to bring it back with him when he returned home, but he knew a sudden impulse to send it back with one of his cousins. After all, several of them would be arriving for continued surveillance once Nikos sent word with his initial findings, and giving the device straight to the ruling council instead of allowing Zeus to see it first would be sure to send his father into a rage. Nikos grinned. He never got too old to enjoy that. 

The grin dropped when Nikos recognized that his half-formed future for Lex was more than a passing whim, it was a real desire. Something in the human resonated with him, waking a long-dormant zest for new lands, new experiences. A desire to go on. Perhaps the endless galaxies weren’t so dusty and dry for him after all.

Nikos slowed to a brisk walk once the Luthor castle came into sight. He passed uncontested through the gates, nodding at the guard as he entered. He paused in the front hall, listening for Lex’s heartbeat and discovering it in a small sitting room on the second floor. 

The room, Nikos found when he nudged the door farther open, contained a modest fireplace, wide windows shielded from the night by flowered curtains, and furniture with a surprisingly feminine design. Lex was sprawled on the patterned rug in front of the flames, his face turned upward and his eyes fixed on the moulded ceiling. 

“My father had this room decorated for my mother, even though she never set foot in this ridiculous pile,” Lex said. Nikos closed the door and sat on the small couch closest to Lex. 

“She died when you were young, from what I remember reading,” he said. 

“ _Your mother’s sitting room_ , that’s how he referred to it,” Lex continued. “ _It belongs to the lady of the house._ Well, she never saw it, this house never belonged to any Luthors we were related to, and everything my father built was based on lies and ambition.” 

Lex paused and turned his head so he could look at Nikos. 

“My father, I suppose, is a great man. He accomplished great things. He came from nothing and now he has everything. Everything he wants, at least. I used to think he wanted the same thing from me—ambition, accomplishment. I thought he wanted me to rule with him, then to be his successor. But he’ll never let go. Not of his empire, not of his son. _You will always need me, Lex._ That’s what he said to me last year. He told me _he_ was my future when he was offering me a thinly veiled excuse to tighten his grip. He’ll never leave me.” Lex shifted to stare into the fire. “So maybe I need to leave him.”

“I learned some things about the meteor mutations this afternoon,” Nikos said abruptly into the silence that followed Lex’s words. 

Lex’s gaze rose to meet Nikos’ face, inquiring. 

“You may not know this, but the meteor rocks that have so thoroughly scrambled the development of the organisms here came down with Kal-Clark’s ship. I think I understand what they did to you.”

“To me,” Lex repeated. 

“Lex, you’re a scientist. I know one assumption I can safely make is that you’ve run tests on your own genetic material. On your own blood, your own flesh.”

Lex pursed his lips and went back to examining the busy flames in the fireplace. 

“I have. So did my father.”

“The healing, the accelerated cell renewal. It’s unprecedented in human development.” Nikos waited until Lex looked at him again, clearly interested in spite of his mood. “You are perhaps the only human who not only could withstand our stasis process, but be better for it. Your body’s composition makes you uniquely suited to our technology. It’s possible that you may be able to go much longer between stasis periods than even the healthiest of my own people. I told you the Kryptonians didn’t need it at all to extend their lives, especially here on Earth, and Kryptonian remnants are the source of your…evolution.”

Lex gave him a long blink, his expression somewhere between delight and disbelief. 

“Evolution,” Lex said. “I always thought of myself as more of a freak.”

“You are many things,” Nikos replied. “Clever. Ruthless.” Lex rolled onto his knees, coming to rest in front of Nikos and leaning into him. “Lovely,” Nikos added, bringing his palms to either side of Lex’s face. “Closely defended,” Nikos went on, looking at Lex’s habitual layers of clothing. “Capable. Strong.” 

Lex closed his eyes at that and pushed into Nikos’ hands. 

“What do you want?” he whispered. 

“A chance to show you the universe,” Nikos said, rubbing his thumb against Lex’s cheekbone. “Some of my family are coming soon to gather the information I’ve collected so far and help implement a longer-term plan for Kal-Clark. After that, I had been planning to return home. But now….” 

Lex tilted his face up. 

“Now?” he asked.

“That’s up to you.”

\- X -

Nikos’ relatives didn’t bother to introduce themselves, so Lex entertained himself by trying to guess who they might have been back in the Hellenic days. The dark-haired one with the heavily lashed grey eyes and perpetual expression of superiority could easily have been Athena. Lex felt a little thrill at the possibility. Goddess of wisdom, patron of Athens, daughter of Zeus! Walking the halls of Lex Luthor’s house! 

Granted, she spent most of her time sniffing in disapproval and her attitude toward Lex could only be described as dismissive, but still. He had already discussed the accuracy of his model city of Troy with Nikos…perhaps Athena would have more details to add…there were so many questions just about Greek history he could satisfy. Not to mention greater mysteries of the cosmos.

Lex groaned and dropped his face into his hands briefly. Pestering visiting aliens about schoolboy toys probably wasn’t going to paint him in the most impressive light to Nikos’ cousins—sister? And Lex still hadn’t decided what to do about the universe-traveling offer. 

He picked up a bottle of water and took a sip, stepping into squares of purple and red light created by the stained glass of the library. The water inside the blue bottle sparkled erratically as he tilted it back and forth. 

“This trip has changed him,” said Maybe-Athena from behind him. Lex’s fingers tightened on the cool glass of the bottle, but otherwise he gave no indication she’d startled him. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, turning to face her with forced ease. 

She studied him as he regarded her with deliberate casualness.

“What are you drinking?” 

_“In aqua sanitas,”_ he replied, tipping his water in her direction. 

She raised an eyebrow and poured two glasses of whiskey, then handed him one of the heavy crystal tumblers. 

_“In vino veritas,”_ she said. “Close enough, anyway.”

Lex watched her take a long swallow of the amber-colored liquid before sipping his own. He put the water on a nearby table and gave her a long look. She let the quiet build for the time it took her to finish her drink. 

“I didn’t think he’d do another term of stasis,” she said finally. “He’s not the oldest member of our family, but he’s not young.”

Lex raised his eyebrows and gestured for her to continue. 

“I was under the impression that once he had finished with this little Kryptonian chore, he would return to our home and live out his days until age took him. He’d lost that drive to renew himself. But.”

Lex’s raised eyebrows seemed to have lost their effectiveness, because she didn’t go on despite his meaningful facial expression. 

“But?” he prompted. 

“Now there’s a spark in him again. Don’t extinguish it.” Maybe-Athena put her empty glass down and left. 

Lex drank his whiskey and stood there for a long time, watching the colored squares of light travel across the room as the sun went down, catching the cut-crystal facets of his glass periodically and scattering rainbows. Nikos found him there when the shadows were beginning to outnumber the rays of light. He gently took the glass from Lex’s hand and pulled him in close. 

Lex closed his eyes and rested his head on Nikos’ shoulder, releasing all the air in his lungs then inhaling evenly. 

“Can you give me a tour of your _spaceship?_ ” Lex asked, whimsical. He felt Nikos smile against his head before the other man nodded, his stubble sending sharp little shivers of pleasure down Lex’s spine. 

“We can leave now, if you’d like,” Nikos offered. 

“I’ve got a few things to take care of,” Lex replied. “But soon. And….” He looked up at Nikos then, drinking in the wine-dark eyes and the faint lines that creased his brow. “Thank you.”

\- X -

Saying goodbye was easier than Lex would ever have supposed. All he had to do was remember the triumph in his father’s eyes every time Lex had had to admit the slightest defeat. The coldness his father had shown any time Lex was hurt. The tests, the distrust, the desire for absolute control. That cured him of the need to do anything further than making a farewell video recording for Lionel. Lex covered his bases, confident that his father would be furious at his abrupt departure but helpless to pursue him, legally or physically.

As a final nod to the years he had spent studying the art of business-as-war under Lionel, Lex also managed to leave the core of LexCorp in trust to Clark. To be overseen by capable hands—hands other than Clark’s, though, because no matter how much Lex trusted and admired his friend, he certainly didn’t imagine he was headed for a business degree. And if Lex ever…well, if Lex wanted the company back, he knew Clark would never keep it from him. And under the watchful eye of an old prep school friend who ran his own family business with unnerving competence in Gotham, LexCorp would burn with a small but steady flame. 

Lex said goodbye to Clark in person, standing in the loft above the Kents’ barn, the window open to a sky full of stars. They both admired the sight for several quiet minutes, Lex’s mind already leaping ahead to his impending trip. Soon he would be among those glittering, distant points of light. He could finally spend all the time he wanted exploring anything he was curious about. Time wouldn’t touch him for decades, centuries. The anticipation sent a quiver through him and his blue eyes shone as he turned to his friend. 

“I’m leaving, Clark,” he said simply. 

“Is it a trip for work? Metropolis? Did you take a job with LuthorCorp again?” Clark’s words tumbled over each other. “When are you coming back?”

“Maybe never,” Lex replied. Clark gripped the edge of the window and the wood creaked at the intensity of his hold. Lex wondered if he should be concerned about the barn’s structural integrity. “I’m going with Nikos.”

Clark scowled. 

“What about everything you’ve worked for here? I thought you wanted to prove yourself to your father, to make a success of LexCorp.” His voice was coming close to a whine and Lex grinned. 

“You make it sound like LexCorp isn’t a success yet,” he said. 

“That’s not what I meant,” Clark protested. 

“I know,” Lex assured him, letting the grin fade from his face. “I just—I need to do something for myself. Just myself. Not Lionel.” Lex watched Clark’s hand relax and felt his own muscles lose some of their tension. “You told me once that if anyone could choose who they wanted to be, it was me. I want to believe that, Clark. I don’t want to be my father. I don’t want to blindly chase his ambitions.”

“I thought you wanted those things, too,” Clark said. “I don’t—I don’t want you to go.”

“I’ll miss you, too.” Lex’s voice was fond but firm. “From what Nikos has said, though, you’ve got a lot going on. Your own things to figure out.” Lex looked at Clark steadily and the teenager flushed, his gaze darting away. 

“I’m, uh, I guess I’m sorry for lying?” Clark scrubbed a hand through his hair, posture stiff. 

“It’s all right,” Lex sighed. “It was…a shock. I’m sorry you felt you couldn’t trust me.” He knew some of the hurt he still felt was evident in his voice, and he made an effort to lighten his tone. “It’s a dangerous secret, and I’m not going to pretend my entire life has been composed of altruistic decisions. I get it. I’m glad I didn’t hurt you when I hit you on that bridge.” 

Clark accepted this, nodding. 

“I really will miss you, Lex,” he said. He reached out then hesitated for a second before laying his hand on Lex’s shoulder and squeezing slightly.

Lex glanced up at the stars again and couldn’t hide his happiness. 

“I’m going to outer space,” he said softly. “And my best friend has the powers of a super hero. This is a hell of a destiny, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I really do,” Clark finally smiled back.


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly a gratuitous threesome, with a bit of angsty fluff at the end. Story's fine without reading it, but this was the ending I had in mind when I started.

Lex had missed coffee. If he closed his eyes and inhaled the steam rising from his cup, he could almost believe he was back on the Earth he’d known so many years ago. He felt a warm hand settle on the back of his neck and he lifted his gaze to meet a set of mulberry-colored eyes, full of love and amusement. 

“Taste the way you remembered?” Nikos asked. 

“Better.” Lex drank slowly. 

“How long are you staying?” Clark asked. 

“Not too much longer,” Lex answered.

“Lex was feeling nostalgic,” Nikos smiled. 

“It’s passed,” Lex said wryly. “I’ve kept up with the news, and my curiosity has been satisfied by this trip.” He paused, looking over his old friend for several long moments. “How can you stay here, year after year? You’re never gone very long. And your friends….” 

“Dead, yeah, I know,” Clark said bluntly, his brow wrinkling. Lex winced at his own tactlessness, even as he automatically cataloged the brow wrinkle as one of the physical changes he’d been noting. The teenager who had been learning how to live in his own skin was gone, grown into a man with strong, handsome features who looked anywhere from thirty to fifty years old. His dark hair still curled slightly, but it was cut short and there were several strands of grey around his temples. Although his eyes remained an unusual shade of green, the expression in them was nearly always serious these days. 

Lex found himself almost missing the earnestness and naïveté that had clung to Clark in their earlier life. He was so grave now, bearing the weight not only of surviving everyone he had loved in his youth, but also his now-intimate acquaintance with evil and ambition and destruction. Lex knew what it was to balance the needs of the many with those of the few, but he had the feeling Clark had made hard choices more often and on a greater scale. 

“I’m sorry,” Lex said. Clark sighed then shrugged, sharing a meaningful glance with Nikos. 

“You want any more coffee?” Clark asked. 

“No, I’ve sated that particular urge, thank you,” said Lex. 

“Any other…urges I can help you satisfy?” Clark’s lips twitched in an unexpected smile and Lex blinked at him in disbelief.

“First of all, that was _terrible._ Second…well, second, I’m not sure—” Lex looked over at Nikos, eyebrows raised. “I’m not sure….”

“Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about it, Lex. Besides, Kal-El won’t be the first one we’ve included,” said Nikos with a laugh.

“I know!” Lex was a little flushed. “But…it’s _Clark._ ” He realized he was acting like a teenage virgin from old Earth, that the Clark he’d known had since led a league of superheroes and come back from the dead and certainly, _certainly_ had a lot of adventurous sex along the way, but…it was _Clark._

The Kryptonian in question took Lex’s coffee cup out of his hand and put it on the antique farm table, then drew Lex to his feet, pulling him into an easy embrace. Lex let his head fall onto Clark’s incredibly broad—when had the farm boy developed so many muscles; he was like a tank, and somehow even _taller_ than he’d been—chest, the steady beat of Clark’s heart soothing his nerves. 

Lex felt Nikos move in behind him, running familiar hands down Lex’s arms and then over his hips. Lex’s breath hitched at the sensation of two superheated bodies surrounding him. 

Clark dipped his head and brushed his soft lips over Lex’s. Lex yielded immediately, his hesitation melting away as Clark tasted his mouth with hungry, self-assured movements. 

Nikos was busy stripping Lex of his clothing while Clark supported his weight. Lex groaned as Clark’s big palms moved to cup his ass and Nikos bit lightly at the back of Lex’s neck. 

“Nnnnmm,” Lex said as Clark kneaded his muscles with strong fingers. 

“For such an articulate man, he’s mostly unintelligible at times like this,” Lex heard Nikos say. He frowned and tried to break away from Clark’s kiss to defend himself, but Clark gave a low growl and sank his teeth gently into Lex’s lower lip. Lex capitulated without a word, tilting his head to give Clark a better angle to maul his mouth.

“Were you going to say something?” Nikos’ voice was deep and amused at Lex’s side, and the feel of his hot breath against the curve of Lex’s ear made Lex shiver. Clark pulled back a bit and gave Lex a questioning look. 

“Hmm?” Lex murmured, turning his face toward Nikos to kiss him. Nikos obliged after shooting Clark a quick, laughing glance, and Lex heard Clark’s answering chuckle before he was distracted by lips pressing to his exposed throat. Lex wasn’t sure if he was pleased or irritated that he could be marked and his lovers couldn’t. Even his accelerated rate of healing wouldn’t immediately erase the red marks Clark was sucking into his pale skin. 

“Oh, that’s pretty,” Clark breathed, admiring said marks. Nikos hummed in agreement, giving Lex’s mouth a final lick before turning him to face them. Lex swallowed audibly at the sight of them both looming in front of him, and he forced his brain to form actual words. 

“W-why am I the only one naked?” he demanded faintly. 

“He has a point,” Nikos said, pulling off his shirt without hesitation. Whatever shyness or modesty Clark might have shown when he and Lex were young had long since fled, Lex realized as Clark casually revealed a powerful chest that tapered down to a trim waist. He and Nikos were fairly evenly matched, although Clark had an inch or two in height and about ten pounds of muscle on him. 

Any further comparisons Lex might have made were swept away as Clark stepped forward and easily lifted him up. Lex had made peace quite some time ago with his affection for being manhandled in certain situations. He wrapped his limbs around Clark’s solid form and nipped at his golden, invulnerable skin. Clark muffled a laugh against Lex’s head. 

“The kitten has teeth,” Clark teased. 

Lex pinched him, head clearing enough to retort, “I would make an extremely unattractive cat.”

“You’re right,” Clark agreed, getting his hands back under Lex and squeezing. Lex couldn’t stop the upward jolt of his hips in response. “You’re much prettier like this. So smooth, I just—” 

Clark broke off and groaned as Lex ground himself shamelessly against his stomach. Nikos grasped Lex’s hips, stilling his motion. 

“I realize you two are still young,” said Nikos, licking a stripe behind Lex’s ear and making him moan, “but I’m well past the age where I find the kitchen floor a comfortable location for this kind of thing.”

“Bed’s upstairs,” Clark grunted, starting that way. Lex clung more tightly, taking advantage of Clark’s distraction to suck and mouth at the side of his neck. There was no evidence of it, despite Lex’s most diligent efforts, when the three men fell into a surprisingly large bed a few minutes later. 

Nikos reclined at the top of the mattress, back resting against the headboard. Lex detached himself from Clark and allowed Nikos to draw him forward into a deep kiss. Lex lost himself in it, temporarily losing track of Clark until he felt warm hands pulling his hips back and up, his head dropping to Nikos’ lap. 

“Oh, yes, this,” Lex said, parting his lips to take the hard length of Nikos’ cock deep into his mouth. He felt the head nudge the back of his throat and relaxed, sinking into the familiar feeling. 

Large, blunt fingers traced the cleft of his ass and Lex smiled as well as he could when he found the fingers were wet with warmed lubricant. 

Clark took his time opening and teasing Lex, and Nikos had had centuries to attain patience, so it was some time before Lex found himself full at both ends. At that point his face was wet with tears and sweat and semen and his thoughts had narrowed to pleasure and anticipation, his quicksilver mind slowed and almost peaceful.

Nikos stroked his damp cheek and Lex moaned, the vibration finally pushing Nikos to orgasm. Lex swallowed with the ease of experience, then tipped his head to rest on his lover’s thigh. Clark reached around to grip Lex’s erection, swollen and red. It only took a few strokes before Lex gasped and spilled over the bed. 

His eyes slid shut and Clark’s grip was all that kept him from collapsing. When Lex felt the heat of Clark’s release deep inside, his lips curved upward at the sensation.

“God—Lex—fuck,” Clark panted. 

“Tha’s d-definitely who I’d be,” Lex murmured into Nikos’ leg. “The god of fuck.”

He heard Nikos laugh softly above him and then two sets of hands were roaming over his tired body, soothing and petting. Lex, high on bliss and exhaustion, made a dreamy noise and let his head fall to the soft blanket. 

As if from far away, Lex heard a voice say, “I missed you.”

Lex gave another sleepy smile and leaned into the hand that cupped his head. 

“Missed you, too, Clark.”

 

**_Two Weeks Earlier_ **

“He won’t mention it while we’re here, but he’s always going to feel indebted to you for staying, Clark. For taking care of his home when he wanted to leave it.” Nikos said. 

The other man gave a short nod of acknowledgement. 

“Earth is mine to defend and protect. I do have some help; I know you’re familiar with what’s left of the League.” He sighed. “And it’s really more Kal-El than Clark, now. I think only Lex would still call me Clark.”

“There are other places you could go, Kal-El,” Nikos said. “You’ve visited many of them. You’re always welcome at my home. And I think Lex would enjoy a few tours at your side. You can lay down this burden.”

“I know. I don’t choose to, though. Not yet, at any rate. And what do you mean, Lex would travel at my side. Where would you be?” Kal’s eyes were sharp, pinning Nikos with his gaze. 

Nikos stroked the arm of the soft chair he was sitting in, his face a mixture of fondness and resignation. 

“I won’t last through another period of stasis.” He looked up at Kal-El. “Lex is still so young by our measure. His body has become healthier, more resistant to age from the process of stasis, and he may not need anything further to match your lifespan. He certainly will outlast mine. By quite some time, I’m afraid. I only have a few more decades with him…he doesn’t want to see the signs of it, but you know he won’t deceive himself for long. He’ll be lonely. I don’t want that for him, and I don’t think you do, either. We’ll be back in two weeks after looking into a few things Lex wants to check up on here. You don’t have to say or do anything, just…I want you to know where we stand. You know what it’s like to be outside of things, to be surrounded by people who love you and still be alone.”

Nikos let his breath out slowly and clasped his hands together to stop their slight tremor. He wasn’t afraid to die, but he wanted Lex to _want_ to go on without him.

Kal-El nodded slowly. 

“I loved Lex like a brother. I still care about him. I can’t say I’ll be ready to leave this home behind when your time is up, but….” He spread his hands and gave a small shrug. “I’ll take care of him, however I can.”

“Loved him like a brother, hm?” Nikos’ expression was suddenly mischievous. To his amusement, Kal-El blushed like a schoolboy. 

“I was a teenager! I still thought I could only be with one kind of person. Or species!” 

“I’m glad you’ve cleared all that up,” said Nikos with a smirk. “I’ve heard the stories.”

“Give it a rest, old man,” Kal-El muttered. 

When Nikos left, he made his way back to the place he and Lex were staying before visiting various LexCorp holdings that were still functioning. 

Lex was asleep on the bed, breathing deep and even, lashes falling in perfect auburn crescents on his smooth cheeks. Nikos felt a tightening in his chest as he looked at his partner, his lover, his dearest companion. He lay down and ran a hand over the curve of Lex’s skull. The other man stirred, blue eyes blurry with sleep. 

“Ev’ything’s okay? You finished your mys-mysterious errand?” he murmured drowsily. 

“Yes, Lex, it’s all fine. I’m back now.” 

“Good,” Lex whispered, burrowing his face into the space between Nikos’ shoulder and neck. Nikos lay on his back with Lex tucked up beside him, warm and pliant and asleep. He rested his temple against the top of Lex’s head and closed his eyes, feeling his body relax with the knowledge of what he’d seen. Clark still loved Lex. It was enough.


End file.
